Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I've been working a lot and doing assignments. I've now finished all my assignments for this semester which is a relief. In the last couple of weeks I handed in a 2000 word Clinical Case Management Review of one the patients I looked after in my geriatric nursing placement. That was worth 50% so I hope I did ok on that. Also did a 1500 word report about advances in the care of older people with depression, dementia, and end-of-life care, worth 30%. Before that I did a professional development reflective essay worth 40%. So basically one assignment a week for the last three weeks.
Other homework I've doing are a discussion board research posting about nursing care of Stroke patients, types of stroke and how they affect the patient, readings on Systematic review of treatments for depression in older people and End-of-life care and dementia.
Got some grades back for assignments I did earlier on in the semester - one worth 50% and another worth 40%. I can't remember the exact numbers but there were both in the 70s, which is "very good", so I was happy with those results.
Other than that I've also been doing a lot of research and thinking about where I want to work when I graduate. I've been attending a few career information nights with different organisations including the Royal District Nursing Service and Royal Melbourne Hospital. I need to apply for graduate positions by the end of July, and then interviews will take place in August followed by job offers in early October. So I will know before I finish my final semester where I will be working. Apparantly, most student end up getting their first preference so I have to think really carefully about my preferences and what I want. Also, I can only chose and apply to four places and I have to put those in order of preference. It's like applying to uni after year 12. So far I'm most interested in psych nursing programs at the major hospitals which have rotations in acute inpatient care, youth inpatient care and community care. There are three of these programs that I like the look of at Royal Melbourne, the Austin and the Alfred. At the Austin and the Alfred there are also programs that have two six month rotations - one in med/surg and one in psych, so you can consolidate your skills and experience both areas. However, they do not have the post graduate study included or an ongoing position. As well as all those programs, I'm also keen on community nursing with the Royal District Nursing Service which involves driving around Melbourne giving nursing care to people in their own homes for medication, wounds, dementia, diabetes and so on. I'm pretty sure I don't want to go straight to ward nursing on a busy med/surg ward. It just doesn't feel satisfying or interesting to me compared to psych or community nursing. So I have a lot to think about, and next week will start preparing my applications and making a decision about my preferences.
On Friday this week I have my one and only exam for Complex Care Nursing which is worth 40%. I've been told there are no exams next semester so this could be my last exam for quite a while. It's an open answer exam, not multiple choice like all the others in second year so could be difficult. Over the next four days I'm going to review about 10 of the lectures, the assignment, and all aspects of the two patient scenarios we studied in workshops for this subject. Hopefully that will get me through.
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